Our Last Dance

Chapter 2

Esha was in the backseat of my car, holding her stomach as she laughed like a maniac, literally unable to breathe.

"I swear, Es, if you don't stop, I'm gonna lose it," I hissed, trying to keep my eyes on the road.

"I have never-" she gasped, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I have never seen you so unnerved," she managed to finish her sentence, wiping her tears in the process.

"I have never come across such an imbecile in my whole life, Es. He had the audacity to mock me after that embarrassing moment," I pressed down on the accelerator, passing the slower cars, and shook my head.

She looked at me through the front mirror with a smirk.

"I bet he did that on purpose, and I don't think he was embarrassed at all. At least, it didn't seem like it," she shrugged and laid down on the seat with her elbows propped up.

"People like him really get under my skin," I muttered, glancing over at Esha.

"You know, guys like that would make a great match for you," she teased.

I pulled the car over to the side of the road, turning to face her. "I'd rather date a zombie than deal with guys like him," I retorted, shaking my head in frustration before continuing to drive.

Esha chuckled, leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes. "Sure thing, Layla," she said with a smirk, her hazel eyes glinting in the sunlight.

She had the most beautiful hazel eyes I'd ever seen.

Me and Esha had been friends for six years by then; we had met each other when we were sixteen, and it had been going on ever since. Our friendship was just something like out of a movie. We always had each other's back, even in those days of being lonely. I was just glad I had someone like her.

Pulling into the driveway, I turned off the ignition and glanced over at Esha as she watched me remove my keys and jacket.

"Are you still going to work late tonight?" I asked softly, turning to face her.

"Yeah, until midnight. Gotta make that money, babe," she replied with a sad smile that quickly brightened into a cheerful one.

My heart twinged painfully. Esha had been orphaned at fourteen when her parents succumbed to cancer. Despite her grandmother's care, they struggled to make ends meet.

Esha often worked multiple part-time jobs, exhausting herself to ensure she had enough. Sometimes her mood would suddenly shift, and she'd break down over the smallest things.

Seeing her tired made me ache with the urge to assist, but she insisted that me being there for her was enough.

"Esha, you know you can stay at my place if-"

"Not this again, Layla. Please, don't." She interrupted, giving me a stern look. I sighed in response.

"I'm sorry." I ran my hand through my hair, feeling frustrated, as we both got out of the car.

"You know I'll be there for you if you need me, right?" I tried to lighten the mood.

She gave me a sweet smile and hugged me tightly. "And I'm glad to have a friend like you," she said, squeezing my hands before pulling back.

I waved goodbye as we parted ways, heading into my house.

*************

"Alyse kid's home," Dad yelled from inside the living room as I threw my backpack next to the kitchen door.

I walked into the living room where Dad was sitting on the sofa and Mom came running down the stairs. Mom gave me a big hug, while Dad greeted me with a quick kiss on my forehead. They were too affectionate; it wasn't that I didn't appreciate it, but I found it kind of embarrassing.

"I'm not a kid, Dad," I protested, rolling my eyes.

Dad rolled his eyes back and continued watching "Love and Other Drugs" for what felt like the hundredth time.

"It's the fifth time you're watching this movie, Dad," I sighed, propping down in between them.

Dad was about to retort, but Mom intervened before he could get a word in.

"She's right, honey. You do watch this movie every day," she pointed out, sliding a hand over my shoulder.

"If you're both done talking about me, how was your day at college, Layla?" Dad asked, trying to change the subject.

"Ugh, it sucked, the worst day of my life, in fact," I groaned, laying down on the sofa.

"What happened?" Dad questioned, leaning closer.

"I came across the most imbecilic, aggravating, stupid human being I've ever seen in my entire life," I huffed, closing my eyes.

"What happened? Did he bully you or something?" Mom asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Psst, no, it's just that he unnerves me and is a mean ass."

Dad and Mom shared a look.

"What?" I questioned.

"You know what they say? If a guy is mean to you and unnerves you, it means that he likes you," Mom said with a smirk.

I blinked a few times before letting out a hysterical laugh.

"She's gone crazy," Dad whispered to Mom.

"No, Dad, you guys are crazy. What you just said is plain toxic as hell. I don't even know how you guys maintain such a healthy relationship when you have such stupid misconceptions," I chuckled again.

"She just called us stupid," Mom exclaimed. I stood up and faced them, crossing my arms.

"If a guy is mean to you, then it basically means that he is an asshole and he just doesn't like you. It does NOT mean that he likes you. A guy who likes you would never treat you like that, and no girl deserves that. It's such a misunderstanding and toxic thing that is taught. We say it to others and to ourselves to make ourselves feel better since we cannot accept the fact that someone does not like us. Haven't you guys watched the movie 'He's Just Not That Into You'?" I finished with a dramatic sigh and looked around, expecting an answer to my outburst.

"But Gigi ended up with Alex at the end," Mom said.

"She was an exception, Mom, not a rule. Not everybody ends up that way, and you know how the other couples ended. So we should stop trying to be an exception and instead be with a guy who genuinely likes and respects you. And above all that, I am not into guys who are assholes. So yeah," I concluded, walking towards the kitchen.

Dad looked at me with a smile.

"You've changed so much since high school, Layla. I'm happy that you are staying with us now. I can get to know you better now since I didn't have that opportunity before your-" Dad paused, and Mom interjected with a soft tone, "John."

Before my head injury. That's what he meant to say.

I had moved out at 17 for college, unable to manage the long commute and my studies. It meant we saw each other rarely.

This was all before my accident, a year ago.

"That's okay, Dad. I'm here now, and I'm okay," I reassured him, trying to put on a brave face. Missing a year of my life had been tough, and getting back on track was even tougher. All my friends had graduated, and Esha was now working on her PhD while I was still finishing up my master's degree. It meant that I didn't have anyone when I returned to college. It was rough at the beginning, thankfully things were slowly getting better.

*********

"Which classes do you have today, Layla?" Esha asked as we made our way to class.

"English Lit, Spanish, and Math," I replied with a smile, glancing down at my shoes as they squeaked slightly against the floor.

"Alright then, I'll see you in the cafeteria," she said, giving me a tight hug before darting off in the other direction.

"Hey there, little woman, ready for our second class together?" The familiar voice made me groan inwardly, realizing that my day had already taken a turn for the worse.

*********

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